Exploring cancer health disparities among formerly incarcerated African Americans

Incarcerated populations have a higher burden of chronic disease and elevated risk factors for cancer (BJS, 2012). In 2013, cancer (31%) and heart disease (26%) accounted for over half of all prisoner deaths. The Genomics Research Program of the National Cancer Institute’s Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (2016) identified incarcerated persons as an understudied population about which there is limited data regarding cancer risks and outcomes. A majority of studies on corrections populations focus on health issues associated with reduction of infectious diseases such as HIV, Tuberculosis, and Hepatitis. Scant research has been conducted on issues associated with cancer prevention and control among African Americans with a history of incarceration. This qualitative, participatory, pilot research study explores the domains of cancer health disparities among African American men and women who were formerly incarcerated in Illinois prisons. Four qualitative focus groups will be conducted. The primary purpose of the focus groups is to collect and qualitatively analyze preliminary data on the barriers to access, utilization and treatment of cancer. This presentation seeks to: (1) describe the need for enhanced access to cancer care and treatment, (2) advocate for the inclusion of best practices in cancer care in corrections systems and, (3) identify policy recommendations and initiatives aimed at reducing cancer disparities among incarcerated and formerly incarcerated persons

Managing Ties and Time: Men's and Women's Reports of Relationships during Men's Incarceration and Re-entry

Examining correctional supervision’s effect on intimate partner relationships is important in that strong family ties are crucial to male prisoners’ post-release success. However, correctional control impedes normal family relationship functioning, and often damages relationships such that they cannot be easily repaired, if at all. The need to maintain relationship ties through a system of control designed for isolation and punishment lies at the heart of this study. This study examined how correctional supervision through prison and parole affects intimate partner relationships among African Americans. Using secondary analysis of individual interview data collected through a qualitative multistate study with men in prison or on parole and the intimate partners of such men, this present study systematically examined the ways in which men’s correctional supervision influenced the functioning of intimate partner relationships during incarceration and community reentry. Secondarily, this study examined how men and women managed their relationships during men’s correctional supervision, exploring what is helpful and what is harmful to the relationship during this period. Finally, this study examined relationship conflict, exploring relationship expectations and what occurs when those expectations are unmet. Findings indicate that correctional supervision acts on relationships between men and women to diminish their value to each other; to complicate relationship management and maintenance by creating barriers to contact; and to influence expectations of the other, creating or exacerbating relationship conflict. Further, incarceration erodes trust between men and women, substantiating a need for both to demonstrate their trustworthiness or verify it through others. Finally, women described their experience of men’s incarceration as a separate prison characterized by their own contact with the correctional system, loneliness, depression, and limited support due to the contagious stigma of incarceration

Understanding Prisoner Reentry: Employment, Parenting and Relationships Matter

The portrait of incarceration in America is deeply disturbing. The United States ranks number one in the world for its unprecedented rate of incarceration (Pew Charitable Trust, 2012). No other ethnic group is caught more in the grasp of the enduring legacy of mass incarceration than African American, inner-city, poor, men, women and children. African Americans represent 13.1% of the total U.S. population, but comprise approximately 36% (549,100) of America’s prison population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2013; BJS, 2013). The impact of mass incarceration on Black America is further compounded by the challenges of prisoner reentry. “Reentry is the process of leaving prison and returning to society” (Travis, 2005, p. xxi). This panel will address three components of the challenges of reentry: employment, re-establishing intimate relationships and the reconnection to parenting. Clearly, the personal, family and community costs associated with mass incarceration greatly exceeds investment in social programs that provide opportunities for stable employment, restoration of parenting and strengthened intimate relationships. Based on research conducted by the panelists, this presentation will explore the challenges associated with prisoner reentry and the opportunities to promote successful community reintegration after incarceration

Committing to socially responsible seafood

Seafood is the world's most internationally traded food commodity. Approximately three out of every seven people globally rely on seafood as a primary source of animal protein (1). Revelations about slavery and labor rights abuses in fisheries have sparked outrage and shifted the conversation (2, 3), placing social issues at the forefront of a sector that has spent decades working to improve environmental sustainability. In response, businesses are seeking to reduce unethical practices and reputational risks in their supply chains. Governments are formulating policy responses, and nonprofit and philanthropic organizations are deploying resources and expertise to address critical social issues. Yet the scientific community has not kept pace with concerns for social issues in the sector. As the United Nations Ocean Conference convenes in New York (5 to 9 June), we propose a framework for social responsibility and identify key steps the scientific community must take to inform policy and practice for this global challenge

Evaluating invasion risk and population dynamics of the brown marmorated stink bug across the contiguous United States

BackgroundInvasive species threaten the productivity and stability of natural and managed ecosystems. Predicting the spread of invaders, which can aid in early mitigation efforts, is a major challenge, especially in the face of climate change. While ecological niche models are effective tools to assess habitat suitability for invaders, such models have rarely been created for invasive pest species with rapidly expanding ranges. Here, we leveraged a national monitoring effort from 543 sites over 3 years to assess factors mediating the occurrence and abundance of brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB, Halyomorpha halys), an invasive insect pest that has readily established throughout much of the United States.ResultsWe used maximum entropy models to estimate the suitable habitat of BMSB under several climate scenarios, and generalized boosted models to assess environmental factors that regulated BMSB abundance. Our models captured BMSB distribution and abundance with high accuracy, and predicted a 70% increase in suitable habitat under future climate scenarios. However, environmental factors that mediated the geographical distribution of BMSB were different from those driving abundance. While BMSB occurrence was most affected by winter precipitation and proximity to populated areas, BMSB abundance was influenced most strongly by evapotranspiration and solar photoperiod.ConclusionOur results suggest that linking models of establishment (occurrence) and population dynamics (abundance) offers a more effective way to forecast the spread and impact of BMSB and other invasive species than simply occurrence-based models, allowing for targeted mitigation efforts. Implications of distribution shifts under climate change are discussed. © 2022 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry